The Forbidden Experiment
by One Nutty Tree
Summary: When the doctor presses a temptingly shiny red button Amy follows and Rory is left behind as usual. But this time will there be a way out of the grey void?
1. Chapter 1

**The Doctor**

I didn't mean to press the button. Okay maybe I did. But the last thing you should do is put a big (and I mean HUGE!) shiny red button in front of me. It reminded me of a clown. The first time I saw one's nose I sonicked him all over checking for signs of alien intelligence or growth inside him. Anyways, back to the button. I couldn't help myself!

Next thing I know I'm in a weird…place. It's hard to describe in terms you'd understand. All you need to know is that it is grey. Pitch grey. I mean utterly absolutely grey. No sign of Amy or Rory rather unsurprisingly. They aren't quite as inquisitive, or as stupid as I am at times. I can see glimmers of white occasionally but never for long. It reminds me of The Void I trapped those Cybermen and Daleks in but that's another story. The place is completely empty. That is until I spot the inscription embedded in the grey nothingness.

_The Forbidden Experiment is not peckish._

Peckish? Not terribly menacing, not hungry now that would be more appropriate, it's like this thing is just a kid - after that I understand. It has the wrong person. I talk, communicate, I do everything and more. So of course it wasn't peckish.

Yet.

**Amy**

"Don't just stand there you muppet!" I yell.

"Well what should I do then?" asks Rory indignantly.

"This!" I announce tossing my flame red hair out of my way as I stride towards the button.

Before my husband – god that sounds weird – can do anything my hand is on the button and I am gone.

I never thought much of my childhood years. I spent them waiting, playing with stories no one would believe, parent-less too. I coped, but as I step into the grey oblivion around me now I feel the forgotten depression of those days poking at me like thistles. I remember it had got to the point that any time I mentioned the "Raggedy Doctor" Auntie would refuse to respond. It had been so terrible when she did that…so awful not to be spoken to…I can feel the grey around me trying to swallow me up. It's sucking at my strength, turning my legs to jelly. Picking apart my vision…

…I guess it must've succeeded because the next instant I'm on the floor opening my eyes.

"Doctor?" I question frantically.

He's bent over me with a concerned frown on his face. That's never a good sign. I sit up awkwardly and open my mouth.

"Ssh." he says putting a finger to my lips. "The Forbidden Experiment IS NOT peckish. Don't make it change its mind."

I push away his hand and stare at my surroundings. I don't know why I blacked out, there's nothing here to scare me except the distinctly un-threatening space. Is that even a word? Hah, must be the Doctor's influence.

"Doctor what's going on? Where are we?" I ask my voice breaking mid sentence.

For a moment I pause feeling surprised then attempt to continue the interrogation.

"Amy have you ever heard of the Forbidden Experiment?" he whispers.

I open my mouth to reply then shut it noticing his expression. He doesn't want me to talk. Why doesn't he want me to talk? I shake my head in response. He slaps his knee in annoyance, his face then twisting into a scowl as he realises that wasn't the cleverest thing to do.

"You humans! You create brilliant sites like Wikipedia and you NEVER USE THEM! The Experiment was carried out on young children. It was meant to find out how the child would react to no communication. The theory was that without it – " he stops.

"Without it what?" I hiss at him.

" – that doesn't matter right now."

He looks away and I can tell just from a glimpse at his eyes whatever it is it's important. So naturally he hides it from me. Well if that's how he wants to behave –

"As for this place? It shouldn't exist. It's only a collection of ideas. You get these things forming all over the universe but you're never meant to physically encounter them. Something's wrong here…once again I think something or someone might be fiddling around with our reality…"

"Where's Rory?" I say.

Then I stop speaking abruptly alarmed at the decreasing quality of my voice. It's all croaky.

"Don't talk. This thing feeds off our communication. For the moment we're in luck, it can't help it, it's a reflex but when it decides to feast is when we're in trouble. I'm better off than you. I know so many different forms of speech and I never stop talking. I do that for a reason you know."

"No you don't." I smile grimacing slightly at the horrible scratchy drone my voice is becoming.

"Maybe, maybe not, but that's beside the point, what I'm trying to say is that it won't know where to start with me. You're a bit closer to home; it understands your biology at least."

"You keep on saying "it" what do you mean?"

"Not the time or place Amy. Now shut up!"

"Bu – " I protest desperately trying to take in all this new information.

"Trust me."

He's staring into my eyes. He's doing the cheeky smile again. I can never resist a good cheeky smile. Grr. I'll get him for this one day.

"Okay." I sigh, my voice down to a whisper.

Then I stop with a sharp intake of breath. What has happened to my accent? My lovely Scottish accent! It's gone! Normally this would have bothered me more but I have a certain someone on the brain. I hope he's okay.

"STOP talking Pond! Our communication is this thing's life force."

"Where's Rory?" I ask one last time.

"He's safe for the moment. Now stop it. The more you say the weaker you get and the stronger it becomes."

I nod. So long as he's safe – I'm with the doctor, what could possibly go wrong?

**Rory**

Rory was at his wits end. The button had stopped gleaming. Its tantalising glow had gone out and was refusing to come back on. He groaned. Just typical of the Doctor to desert him and Amy had followed as always. Well at least she'd be safe. Rory had even tried wacking the button once or twice but to no avail. Unless having a sore hand counted as success. He winced again as the pain coursed through it. He shouldn't have done that. Amy would've laughed at him for doing that and he had a feeling the Doctor would have done as well. Buttons weren't meant to be that solid though surely?

He rubbed his arms attempting to keep warm but it had no effect. Things tended to do that when you were stuck in a blizzard. Oh – he'd almost forgotten - and in the dark. The last thing Rory ever wanted to do was forget. Not even a tiny detail. Never again he'd sworn to himself, after the incident where he'd died and had been absorbed by a crack in time which briefly ended his existence. Amy hadn't even remembered him when he returned from the dead. Well, not at first. That had been painful, he was convinced to never do it again.

Rory had managed to keep himself occupied for the last few minutes by simply being observant until it became too dark to do so anymore. He was pretty sure he'd be able to find his way out of the cavern though; he'd memorised the icicles, the look of them the slender feel of them. After all, at the moment that was the only company he'd have.

Then he felt it. The cold. Not like before but this time like a sharp stab in the back. Maybe it _was _a sharp stab in the back. He reached behind him and felt something he'd memorised the shape of 5 minutes ago. An icicle. In his back.

"Why am I always the one who dies?" he gasps before collapsing backwards effectively shoving the point further into him.

As the shadows crept out from the darkness they smiled.

"The human is easy to illude." said a voice.

It sounded musical, but dangerous like a siren song.

"Indeed." said another voice that sounded less welcoming and bitterer; like the hardened crystals that she had to eat. "Let one take him, he'll make a good bargaining chip especially when he's dead."

Their laughter drifted off into the atmosphere and together the two voices sounded disturbing. One was sweet like a chime whilst the other was grating away with a grim determination like fingernails on a chalkboard.

"Take him to the ice house!"


	2. Chapter 2

**The Doctor**

It seems like we've been here for centuries. Oh dear…Rory is not going to have a terribly productive day…but Amy doesn't need to know that. He'll be fine and so will she. We'll all be perfectly fine if we can just make it through this.

This is a nightmare. I can't talk to Amy and she can't talk to me. Silence, it gets you all ways. When you break it the Experiment sucks the speech from you and when you stay silent it bides its time because it knows what it's doing and it knows you'll break. I look over at Amy. I had to make her go to sleep for a bit. Those Star Trek films may not be very accurate considering the inspiration that startled director had but they were very close to the truth with the Vulcan grip. I wonder if the director had it tried out on him when he had that close encounter with the Snargle. Poor guy. That grip can have you out cold for ages. Anyways, I know what Amy's like and she wouldn't be able to cope otherwise. The question is can I cope? All that time…travelling alone nobody to talk to…but that's over now. Or is it? Stop it! The Experiment is trying to break into me like it did with Amy. She resisted it pretty well but it broke in all the same and just a small dose of it knocked her out cold. She was lucky I found her in this void of unreality. I won't be so lucky if I give in though. It dwells on all the loneliness in you, in many ways I am much more vulnerable than Amy. But up till now I never stopped talking, I know so many different words it wouldn't bother with me. I'm too tough a meal. But now –

_The Forbidden Experiment is…hungry._

No no no! All we are, are mindless morsels in its eyes. Wait did it say hungry? As in...peckish? I didn't know unreality had ears, that's interesting...but that's not important now, I need to focus. It won't have any mercy when it - when it theoretically - kills us.

If I'm right this thing needs a power source. It wouldn't exist without someone fiddling with reality but it needs power to stay in this form. This physical form. This is wrong, this is so wrong. I never should've led those two into the cave with me. Then the Tricera wouldn't have got Rory. Being a human he is probably easy to confuse. They're so frustratingly willing to obey their common sense and not look further! Tricera are a nasty race, this couple looks particularly nasty, twins. They're part of the trickster's gang that's for sure but they work in different ways. They are pawns, but pawns that toy with reality, dangerous work indeed. I stare down at Rory's progress through a transparent patch of the grey, past the inscription, this unreality has a cruel sense of humour. I'd better come up with something brilliant, knowing me the joke will be on it.

**Rory**

When Rory opened his eyes he was confused. He should be dead. Well, he wasn't going to complain but technically he should. He tried to sit up and look at his surroundings but he was pushed back down onto a cold sledge of ice. He caught sight of a frosted face in a reflection but it was inhuman and unfriendly. The fact that it had 3 horns where its eyes should be didn't help matters.

"I think it's time for the void's next sacrifice, don't you think Merduoth?" chirped one of the voices.

"I wanted to play with this one." replied Merduoth mechanically.

"Tough." aid the first voice suddenly hardening. "We have to get this done."

**Kar-eek-la-ka-lee!**

Rory was surprised. There was nothing the TARDIS couldn't translate, was there? He tried to get up again but felt another heavy force against him. He could see nothing pushing him yet the power was there. He then felt the ice cold icicle piercing through his heart. He stared vacantly at his chest. It should be poking out the other side by now. Rory wasn't a nurse for nothing. This "torture" it couldn't be real. It had to all be in his head. What had the creatures said earlier?

_Easy to illude..._

It was just too fantastical. It wasn't real. Get up, he told himself. So he got up - fighting the invisible gale trying to push him back down of course.

"Ah look at him, his thick human brain has finally broken down the illusion. Took your time didn't you?" taunted Merduoth. "Can't we open him up? Just a little Merda?"

"He has to be given to the void in one piece Merduoth. You know that."

"Why am I here?" Rory questioned; sick of their bickering.

"Because we brought you here you impudent ape! Surely you've overheard enough of us to know you're a sacrifice!"

A UV light suddenly flickered into existence, shining down on Rory. Even the Tricera looked confused. Rory sat up and turned to look at the source of the light, there was a small grey patch in the wall - in it was the Doctor, waving.

"How could he break through the chameleon circuitry of the void?" roared Merduoth.

Rory had heard the Doctor mention chameleon circuitry before in relation to the TARDIS but he'd never quite understood the explanations until now.

"Do not worry sister, the void is only playing with him. Remember it is just a child, it has yet to learn its mistakes."

"Its mistakes will get us all killed!"

"Maybe."

At this Merda smiled and the two creatures started to descend into maniacal laughter, the rasps echoing through the cave. Rory remembered what Amy had said to him at the start of this adventure and the strangest idea popped into his head. It was stupid, suicidal and possibly the worst he'd come up with yet. Rory thought of the Doctor and smiled, it was bound to work. His eyes widened and mouth gaped open in an obvious state of fear.

"What's up with the human?" asked Merda her laughter ceasing.

"We must have petrified him!" Merduoth decided.

Rory groaned inwardly, these aliens were almost as arrogant as the Doctor. He'd faced things much worse than these horned creatures. He moved his quivering finger so it was pointing slightly to the left of the two.

"A m-m-MUPPET!" he screamed.

The aliens jumped in unison turning towards where Rory had been pointing. All they could see was blank cave wall. Rory bounced up from his stony cold seat and ran as fast he could back in the direction he'd come from. He could hear the anger of the aliens but then screaming. There were no footsteps following him. All the same he kept going, now he was by the red button again. Its glow was restored now. He considered pressing it, hand hovering over the gleam when a voice cut his thoughts short.

**Amy**

I open my eyes to find myself on the floor for the second time today, the Doctor's grip-snargle-thingy had been painless as he'd informed me but it now has timed out. I feel pretty groggy all the same, for a while I just lay on the grey floor trying to muster the strength to stand. But I can't be bothered. What's the point? I listen to the conversation the Doctor is having. My mind is so muddled I don't really get the concept that there's just the two of us here and nobody else for him to talk to. It doesn't seem weird.

"Rory? Can you he-ar me?" he calls out.

There's the sound of the buzzing sonic echoing throughout this isolated place.

"I - I can hear you! Where are you?" says Rory quietly.

"Sorry, this is a one way system. I can see you but you can't see me, this Experiment is clever. No need to worry about your spiky friends by the way. I've left them a little present."

"What are they? What's going on? Where's Amy?"

"Aren't you going to ask about my present? Don't you want to know that UV light burns Tricera like sunlight burns vampires? Or alternatively space fish..."

There is a short silence in which I can tell the Doctor is analysing Rory's expression.

"They're called the Tricera." he says finally. "They are part of the Trickster's Brigade typically but it looks like these two may have branched off in order to help this thing."

"What thing?"

"This bubble of unreality that me and Amy are stuck in! Also known as the Forbidden Experiment."

"Is Amy okay?"

"She's fine, just a bit out of it. I had to use the Snargle nerve grip; she wasn't coping too well with the atmosphere of this place. Neither am I actually. I would do it to myself but I need to watch over you, work out what those Tricera are up to and keep an eye on Amy. I do hate it when she wanders off."

"Is she there now?"

"You only heard the bit about Amy didn't you?"

"Answer me!"

"I'm fine!" I shout lazily.

"She sounds drunk. In space." Rory contemplates.

"Don't sound so surprised there ware pubs out here too." the Doctor reminds indignantly.

I laugh finally managing to get to my feet. Tottering towards the doctor I notice a transparent patch of wall revealing an aerial view of Rory.

"How come we can shlee him?" I slur happily.

"The Experiment is toying with us. But now it's being more careful; Rory can't see us and without my trusty sonic he would've be able to hear us either. I've boosted the signal."

I don't understand much of that in my addled mind but giggle all the same. In contrast realisation dawns on Rory's face.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up anyways? Our communication is this thing's LIFE FORCE! What part of that don't you understa – " then the Doctor stops his rant. "Interesting. This child is growing up; it's trying to feed on me!"

I stare blankly at the Doctor. He squirms.

"What?" he asks noticing our expressions, "It tickles!"

His laughter rings through the otherwise silent emptiness. In my strange mental state I can't help but join in.

"Well I'm glad you two find this amusing! I'm stuck. Here. Help?" Rory huffs.

I look down at my husband. Husband – he's all mine. Weirdly enough as my heart soars it brings an abrupt end to my drunkenness. My laughter fades but the Doctor's continues.

"Hee hee! Ouch! Ok stop it now." he exclaims sounding a tad more serious. "I'm warning you. You have 3 seconds to stop."

The Doctor starts counting down gesturing at me for his sonic that he'd dropped on the floor earlier. I hand it to him and as he reaches 0 the light of the screwdriver flares. The grey ground rumbles, but the light flashes red and all is still.

"No!" the Doctor gasps.

"What's wrong? Rory can you hear this?"

No reply.

"Where is he?"

"Exactly where he was. This unreality we're in fed off my screwdriver! I sent it a frequency that would hurt it, maybe even daze? It was on a level we can't hear, I guess it intercepted me. If it's communication it can be eaten."

"Just great. Hic! Now I've even got the hiccups- brilliant." I comment sarcastically.

"That's not good."

The Doctor looks very worried now. It's unnerving me but I don't see what there is to worry about. Then I realise and my hand jumps to my mouth.

_This thing feeds off our communication!_

"But it's just a hiccup!" I whisper, my accent suddenly gone.

"It's enough; this thing has been biding its time with you."

Then an idea suddenly occurs to me.

"Doctor why don't we talk through your physic paper?"

"Erm...it can be a bit intrusive, it doesn't just show what you want to say, it shows your thoughts on it."

Now he has it out and is nervously fingering the paper. I snatch it off him. It already has writing on it.

_Bad idea._

"Do we have another option!" I snap passing it back to him. "What does it say now?"

"If you don't get us back you're in big trouble buster."


End file.
